Dr. Chris Damman & Marc Washington: What People Misunderstand About Gut Health

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Chris Damman, Chief Medical & Scientific officer at UR Labs, and Marc Washington the Founder & CEO of Supergut. We discuss gut health and why it's essential for overall health. They explain that the gut is not just about digestion but a portal to whole health. They also discuss how what we eat and breathe can affect our gut and body health. The episode highlights the importance of understanding gut health and how healthcare professionals should incorporate this information into patient care.   Show notes:  [00:01:01] Gut health and whole health. [00:04:34] Gut health and total health. [00:07:45] The gut and immune system. [00:12:23] Gut health and nutrition decisions. [00:15:11] Four F's of Longevity. [00:19:03] Probiotics and Gut Health. [00:24:51] Different types of fiber. [00:28:00] Blood sugar spikes and fiber. [00:31:11] Chronic conditions and mind-body connection. [00:36:10] Double burden of disease. [00:40:23] Gut health and interconnectedness. [00:43:46] Following your passions.   More About Dr. Damman: Chris Damman is Chief Medical & Scientific officer at UR Labs.  Prior to joining UR Labs, he was Initiative Lead of Gut Health in the Enteric and Diarrheal Diseases team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  He holds an M.D. from Columbia University and an M.A. in Molecular Biology & Biochemistry from Wesleyan University.  He moved west to complete his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Washington.  Chris continued on at the University of Washington with a joint appointment in the Division of Gastroenterology and The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.  He maintains an academic appointment with the University of Washington with research interests focused on investigating the role of diet and microbiome-directed therapies as treatments for inflammatory bowel disease.  Past research activities have included early drug discovery work at Pfizer's Discovery Technology Center in Cambridge, MA and epidemiological surveillance work characterizing Plasmodium drug resistance genes at the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences in Bangkok, Thailand. Outside of work, Dr. Damman likes to spend his time running, cooking, eating, and spending time with his wife and three daughters.    More About Marc: Marc Washington is the Founder & CEO of Supergut. His background spans a wide variety of consumer health businesses, including serving as the CEO of Irwin Naturals, a $100M+ supplements company and leading producer of soft-gel herbal formulas sold in over 90,000 retail outlets; President & COO of Beachbody, a $1B+ nutrition and fitness company with products including Shakeology health shakes, P90X, and the Beachbody-on-Demand digital platform; and working 9 years at The Wonderful Co, a $4B agriculture and food & beverage holding company, where he served in a variety of roles including CFO (corporate), EVP Sales (Teleflora), and Direct of Strategy & Operations (FIJI Water). Marc's deep experience in the wellness industry inspired him to found Supergut to help people regain control of their health by harnessing the powerful science of the gut biome. Marc holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and B.S. from Princeton University.  Marc's areas of expertise: Entrepreneurship, Health & Wellness, Gut Health, Metabolic Health, Nutrition, Prebiotic Fiber & Resistant Starch, Food As Medicine, Nutrition & Public Health, Multicultural Health Disparities, Diversity & Inclusion   Resources from this Episode:  Website Our recently peer-reviewed and published clinical study SuperGut on Instagram SuperGut on TikTok SuperGut on Twitter   Follow Dr. Karen Litzy on Social Media: Karen's Twitter Karen's Instagram   Subscribe to Healthy, Wealthy & Smart: YouTube Website Apple Podcast Spotify SoundCloud Stitcher iHeart Radio